


I Don't Know Much About Algebra (But I Know That 1 + 1 = 2)

by Magic_and_Myths



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Cyrus is an awesome tutor, M/M, this ship needs more content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 02:37:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13672518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magic_and_Myths/pseuds/Magic_and_Myths
Summary: Sometimes, just switching your learning method makes all the difference.





	I Don't Know Much About Algebra (But I Know That 1 + 1 = 2)

_She thinks she’s_ so _smart,_ TJ mentally snarls to himself, quickening his pace.  _Well, she_  is  _smart._  He makes a sharp left, the autumn leaves underfoot crunching in agitation.   _It’s me._ He turns right, walks, turns left, walks. _I’m the stupid one._ He turns left, walks, turns right–

 

 _Turns right_  into a park bench, and stumbles before reaching down to soothe the pain spiking in his stomach from where it had hit the metal armrest.

 

 

“You okay?”

 

 

After blinking through the pain, TJ grimaces for a whole new reason: chocolate-chocolate-chip muffin is sitting on the park bench that TJ had just run into, _like an idiot._

 

 

“Cyrus, right?”

 

 

“Yep,” the boy nods, then shoots the taller one a smile.  “TJ.”

 

 

It isn’t a question. TJ’s stomach is suddenly less sore and more bubbly. That is, until Cyrus asks, “Aren’t you supposed to be in a tutoring session?”

 

 

TJ almost kicks the bench in frustration. “Does  _everyone_  know?”

 

 

“Know what?” asks Cyrus with a frown, scooting over in an offering to TJ. “That you’re being tutored? Buffy’s my best friend, so I know her schedule.”

 

 

“She thinks I’m stupid,” is all he says in reply, hunkering down on the bench, and keeping a reasonable distance between himself and Cyrus as he does so.

 

 

“She thinks you’re mean,” Cyrus reasons, then pokes the boy’s shoulder.  “ _Which you can be_. But she doesn’t think you’re stupid.”

 

 

“Everyone does.”

 

 

“ _I_ don’t think you’re stupid.”

 

 

“You would if you knew-” 

 

 

But TJ stops himself, because even if he is stupid, he’s sure not  _that_ stupid. Not stupid enough to ruin his…friendship…with the only person that keeps him calm and content.  Cyrus, sensing his hesitation, simply places a hand on the other boy’s shoulder, and says, “So, tell me.”

 

 

That’s all that it takes for that warm feeling to come flooding back into TJ’s stomach, and he’s kind of starting to like it. So, he tells him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Lots of people have dyslexia!” is Cyrus’ immediate response.

 

 

“Yeah, lots of people have  _reading_ dyslexia.”

 

 

“TJ, lots of people have  _trouble with math_ , okay? But that’s why they get assigned tutors!”

 

 

“Buffy hates me.”

 

 

“She doesn’t.”

 

 

“But-”

 

 

“ _She doesn’t_ ,” Cyrus says firmly, brown eyes piercing into blue.  “But I’m pretty good at math, so I’ll see if your teacher is cool with me tutoring you, instead. How about that?”

 

 

“You’d do that?”

 

 

“Of course!”

 

 

TJ breaks into a smile, an  _actual smile_ , so Cyrus counts it as a win.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Two weeks pass, and TJ’s smile does not fade.  How could it? His math teacher had given Cyrus permission to be his tutor, and they meet at The Spoon every Wednesday after school, and Cyrus does tater theater equations, and TJ is actually  _getting_ math, and–

 

 

And he’s _happy_ , okay?

 

 

“So, one tater minus two taters is?”

 

 

TJ frowns at the taters, then at Cyrus, then at the taters, again. “Why are you giving me a first-grade equation?  We were literally working on  _exponents_  last week!”

 

 

Cyrus sips his milkshake in a poor attempt to cover up his amusement, but TJ sees the smile anyway. The basketball captain blinks away what are  _definitely not_ the beginnings of tears. 

 

 

“You,” TJ bites his lips when his voice comes out wobbly, but powers through anyway. “You really  _do_  think I’m stupid.”

 

 

And immediately the smile disappears from Cyrus’ face, as he reaches out, grasping TJ’s hands with his own. “I was asking you a question.”

 

 

“I  _know_ that!”

 

 

“No,” huffs Cyrus, squeezing TJ’s hands apologetically. “I was asking if I could eat one of your taters. One minus two? Because I wanted to  _take one away_ from you?”

 

 

TJ closes his eyes. “Oh my god.”

 

 

“I’m really sorry.”

 

 

“Oh my  _god,_ ” TJ groans, and despite his eyes being closed, he can tell that Cyrus is giggling. “Shut up. Your puns are lame. I hate them.”

 

 

“TJ, open your eyes.”

 

 

TJ opens them and is greeted by a bashfully smiling Cyrus, still holding his hands. TJ feels his cheeks growing warm, and it must be showing, because Cyrus’ cheeks grow pink in response. 

 

 

“Number one,” says Cyrus, a bit breathlessly. “You  _love_  my puns.”

 

 

“That’s fair.”

 

 

“Number two,” continues Cyrus, leaning closer, brown blending into blue. “You. Are not. Stupid.”

 

 

“Cyrus-”

 

 

“You. Aren’t. Stupid.”

 

 

“Cyr-”

 

 

“ _You’re not stupid!”  
_

 

_“Okay, I’m not stupid! Now, please, stop yelling!”_

 

They’re both laughing hysterically now, as the occupants of The Spoon titter around them. They’re laughter is only slightly dying down, as Buffy and Andi walk toward them.

 

 

“I didn’t even hear you two come in!” says Cyrus, letting out the last of his giggles.

 

 

“Probably not, with all the noise you two were making,” replies Buffy, glancing between them in suspicion.

 

 

Andi frowns at the two boys, and hums, “Oh, Cyrus took over the tutoring?”

 

 

TJ bristles at that, all feeling of mirth washing away. All he feels now is _dumb,_ because _of course_ someone would have taken over tutoring him.  _Of couse_ , he’s too stupid to excel with only one tutor. The atmosphere crackles around him,  and Cyrus squeezes his hands in both confusion and concern. He looks at the boy and is flooded with warm, flooded with  _“You. Aren’t. Stupid.”_

 

 

“It’s not a tutoring session,” TJ declares, squeezing Cyrus’ hands back, before grinning up at the frowning girls. “It’s a date.”

 

 

Andi’s eyes widen, but Buffy simply deepens her frown and snaps, “You would  _seriously_  use a lie like  _that_  to defend your  _fragile honor_? Withoutputting Cyrus’ feelings into account? I  _told_  him this was a bad idea!”

 

 

Cyrus snatches his hands out fo TJ’s loose grasp, visibly recoiling, and with hurt written all over his face.  TJ aches at the thought of hurting the other boy.

 

 

“I mean, no, sorry, I lied. This…this  _isn’t_ a date, but…”, TJ fumbles out, desperately reaching out and reclaiming Cyrus’ hands, “But can it be?”

 

 

“Are you asking me to lie?” Cyrus hisses.

 

 

“ _No_ ,” TJ insists. “No, I’m asking you…”

 

 

The basketball captain coughs awkwardly, then flushes. “I’m asking you  _out_.”

 

 

“Oh.” And now Cyrus is flushing.

 

 

“Oh no, it really  _is_  a date,” Buffy groans.

 

 

“A date,” Andi agrees, pulling a reluctant Buffy toward the exit. “That we’re interrupting. Details later, Cyrus.  _All_ of them!”

 

 

* * *

 

 

It turns out that dating someone who’s good at math, and becoming frienemies with someone who’s  _amazing_ at math, actually helps a lot with, well, _math._ Cyrus’ latest studying strategy is a flashcard game, in which Buffy is allotted the “checker.” Despite her role, the competitive girl still insists on solving problems, as well. 

 

 

“Three plus five? Are you  _kidding_  me?” groans Buffy, flinging the flashcard away from herself in disgust. “Why do I keep getting the easy ones?  _Ugh_!” 

 

 

“Why don’t you solve it  _while_  you whine, this time, Buffy?” teases TJ, and Buffy responds with a shove. 

 

 

“Eight. Obviously.” sighs Buffy, before pulling a card for TJ and immediately smirking at its contents. “Ha!  _Two over seven x, plus one over seven x, equals negative three over seven. Solve for x!_ Good luck solving–”

 

 

“Done!” cries TJ triumphantly, holding up his worn notebook paper.

 

 

“There’s no way you solved it that fast!” Buffy accuses, glaring down at the paper, eyes skimming over the work. 

 

 

“Right when you started, I recognized the equation needed, and then I just plugged in numbers as you talked.”

 

 

“Okay, but you’ve never worked that hard at solving–”

 

 

“I have an incentive, now, okay?” snaps TJ, his cheeks going pink as he glares the girl down. “So, is it right, or what?”

 

 

“It’s…right?” Buffy decides, still thoroughly confused. “But what–”

 

 

TJ eagerly turns to Cyrus like a proud puppy. The other boy lets out a laugh, congratulates TJ ( _Good job! I’m super proud of you!_ ), then leans forward to sweetly kiss his boyfriend.

 

 

“ _That’s_  your incentive?!” Buffy screeches. “You know Cyrus won’t be able to just  _stop_  taking his test in the middle of class to give you  _kisses!_ How are you going to take tests, now, huh? In fact, you’ll probably be too busy _thinking_ about kissing Cyrus to  _focus!_  And I don’t want to third-wheel  _everytime_  we’re studying!”

 

 

But Cyrus is only giggling further, and TJ is sticking his tongue out at her, so Buffy just huffs and lets the game continue.  _At least,_  she thinks, her mouth twitching upward ever-so-slightly in a hidden smile,  _TJ is learning how to do math._

 

 

She watches TJ try to sneak another kiss, then pout when Cyrus refuses and hands him another problem to do. Buffy grins.  _And he’s learning how to love, too._


End file.
